King Mo Signs with Bellator… and TNA Wrestling

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal has found a new home; err, make that new homes.

The longstanding speculation was that Lawal was headed to Bellator Fighting Championships. While that is accurate, MMAWeekly.com sources close to the situation confirmed that Lawal is not only headed to Bellator for mixed martial arts, but he’s also signing to perform for TNA, the WWE’s major professional wrestling rival.

It’s not surprising – following his Strikeforce release – that Lawal would sign on with Bellator, but it is out of the norm that Bellator would allow him to also sign with TNA. Most MMA promoters won’t mix their business with the world of professional wrestling for fear of consumer confusion over mixing the reality of their sport with the scripted story lines of wrestling.

Then the wheels began rolling in on the potential deals with Bellator and TNA.

Lawal will be unable to fight for Bellator until his suspension in Nevada is over in September, but that shouldn’t affect his availability to perform on TNA’s Total Impact as soon as he is prepared to do so, which would likely require a stint training for the action of the professional wrestling ring.

His signing with both promotions does open the gate to several cross-promotional possibilities. While Bellator is currently on MTV2, in 2013 the promotion will move over to sister network Spike TV, the same network that airs TNA.

There has also been talk that with the move to Spike TV, Bellator could move from its Friday night weekly slot to a Thursday night slot alongside TNA.

Many fans and other promoters are likely to cry fowl if Lawal does appear for both promotions, and especially if they do cross promote their brands, but the possibility is there.

I don’t think anyone in WWE or UFC has much to worry about. King Mo’s name isn’t a huge draw and I don’t think most of the TNA or WWE fans know enough about him to make a huge rating spike on the network. He’s no Brock Lesnar or Ken Shamrock .. Good luck Bum.

http://www.bloodyfists.net/forums/index.php SHORT_BUS

Best of luck to him.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=513574780 mattmolloy

Best of luck indeed. I do wish him the best, but this has fail written all over it. MMA fighters and pro wrestlers suffer nasty injuries all the time. What happens if he gets ko’d in Bellator and has to stay away from contact for four or five months?? Is TNA going to schedule him around his MMA commitments?? What happens if he breaks his leg in a wrestling accident?? I don’t like this deal. I think it’s either wrestling or MMA, but combining the two?? I don’t know…I just don’t see it working out in the long run. Too many things can go wrong. BUT…I do hope things work out for King Mo.

sc_01a350823f217ea607a08bd2c033d026

Logical next step in MMA fighters career. I didn’t think King Mo would be the first, I thought it would be Rampage, oh well. How much would BJ Penn be worth to Bellator, Viacom has the money to pay, and WWE. BJ in a vengeance match against Diaz at the next Royal Rumble. It’s not gonna be fun when WWE fans are all over MMA sites talking how Cain slamed JDS so he gonna wipe the floor with him at UFC 200.

Triggerman99

I can’t tell if you’re kidding or just not making any sense.

http://www.twitter.com/uncanny390 uncanny390

This isn’t surprising. He has said before that he would go to pro wrestling if he could get paid more. I don’t think he’s a real fighter at heart. He should be able to do well in Bellator though if he’s committed to it because Light Heavyweight is arguably their weakest division. Their champion is the only one to ever lose a non-title fight.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003311915309 georgesperry

I want to say this now so Bellator understands clearly….. If they start huffing and puffing like pro wrestlers making ass’s of themselves I am done with Bellator. Pro Wrestling is a frigging joke. If Mo wants to do both that’s fine, but to turn MMA into the kind of utter nonsense that pro wrestling is will end all association with Bellator for me.